A weekend with the Iban of Temburong, Brunei!

everyday is a new adventure

A weekend with the Iban of Temburong, Brunei!

The amazing Penan and Iban tribes ….

“The land is sacred; it belongs to the countless numbers who are dead, the few who are living and the multitudes of those yet to be born;” this is a quote from the Penan tribe of Sarawak, Borneo. I have had the pleasure of living with and learning from another tribe called the Iban, whilst living in Brunei. The Iban like most other tribes of Borneo have a unique and special relationship with the rainforest. Their knowledge and understanding of their surroundings is breathtaking and even now with the pressures of modern day life, (especially technology) they, still practise their traditions, whether it is basket weaving or hunting. The older Iban members still pass on their stories and teach the younger generations how to live in the rainforest. Today the Iban are a very welcoming and peaceful people, however, this wasn’t always the case. Before Christianity the Iban had a fierce reputation as headhunters and were one of the most formidable tribes living in Borneo.

What's it like living with the Iban….?

One word sums up my time living in the rainforest with the Iban and that is, “SPIRITUAL!” I am not someone who uses such words in a trendy, hippy way, but someone who has come to respect and love the rainforests through the eyes of their guardians, such tribes as the Iban. Their respect and spiritual affection for the rainforests is born through their knowledge and understanding of their role in nature. They understand the importance and role the rainforests play in everyday life and only take what they need and is sustainable. Whilst living with the Iban I was shown how to hunt by making traps, how to fish, how to make simple, quick and effective shelters using the forest. Where I would see trees of green they would see medicinal plants and camouflaged insects! They have the ability to make animal noises, so call and attract birds and monkeys. Although I am well educated, up to degree level, I feel small and totally inadequate when I spend time with the Iban; their knowledge and understanding of the rainforests is far beyond ours and it is something we need to cherish and never lose.

The rainforests ability to uplift the soul….!

Everytime I leave the rainforest I feel totally uplifted! I have had time to sit and think or just listen to the noises around me. I have not been dictated to by my phone messages or emails! I have allowed my mind to rest, my eyes to see and my ears to listen. Here at iameko we believe in the importance of the rainforests, not just for their biodiversity, but for our well being, which is why we donate 1% of all our profit to the Borneo Nature Foundation’s plant a tree program. When you buy our products you do so in the knowledge that you are having a positive impact not only on the environment and the rainforests of Borneo, but your well being.

There is something about building and growing your own produce that you can’t get with anything else. The sense of satisfaction to experience the process from seedlings to fruit for you to eat. It tastes different. I really wanted to set up this experi …

The beauty of frogs…. Species of frogs are discovered annually in Borneo and at present there are believed to be 178 known species. Frogs are amphibians, backboned animals that have adapted to living outside of water. Frogs have some unique characteris …

The bees….? Honey has always been an essential sweet treat and has been a valued and expensive commodity. None more so than in the rainforests of Brunei, where through history, honey has been collected for its pure enjoyment and the smiles it brings to …

The bees….? Honey has always been an essential sweet treat and has been a valued and expensive commodity. None more so than in the rainforests of Brunei, where through history, honey has been collected for its pure enjoyment and the smiles it brings to …

There is something about building and growing your own produce that you can’t get with anything else. The sense of satisfaction to experience the process from seedlings to fruit for you to eat. It tastes different. I really wanted to set up this experi …

There is something about building and growing your own produce that you can’t get with anything else. The sense of satisfaction to experience the process from seedlings to fruit for you to eat. It tastes different. I really wanted to set up this experi …